Lectures on Death

Shaykh Yasir Qadhi shares his comments and thoughts on the terrorist attack on two masaajid in Christchurch, New Zealand. This talk was delivered at Rhodes College, a vigil for the victims of the New Zealand massacre.

In this timely reminder after the New Zealand mosque shootings, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani of SeekersGuidance (https://www.seekersguidance.org) sheds light on how the believer should respond to the tragedy. While one feels pain for the loss of life faced by the victims and their families, one grounds oneself in one’s faith in Allah and one’s certitude that the victims are ultimately with Him in a better state.

Shaykh Faraz relates this to a relevant passage from the Qur’an:
“Do not think of those who have been killed in God’s way as dead. They are alive with their Lord, well provided for, happy with what God has given them of His favour; rejoicing that for those they have left behind who have yet to join them there is no fear, nor will they grieve; rejoicing in God’s blessing and favour, and that God will not let the reward of the believers be lost.” (3.169-171)

This talk was taken from a Friday sermon (khutba) delivered at Sayeda Khadija Centre (http://www.skcentre.com/).

Life is moving fast whether we realize it or not. Time is always moving and our life on Earth is always getting shorter. We will all be returning to Allah. What state will we be returning? Lecture took place on 9th April 2016.

Shaykh Okasha Kameny speaks of the agonies of death and the experience that the dying individual goes through regardless of the state they are in. He explains ways to attain sincerity and soften one’s heart in order to prepare himself or herself for the meeting with Allah.

Shaykh Dr. Yasir Qadhi talks about our spiritual aim to leave a legacy by leveraging and maximizing our good deeds during our time on earth.

Dr. Qadhi gives three necessary ingredients to leave an endowment that benefits both our self and our brothers & sisters in faith and humanity:

1. a sincere intention (Ikhlas) so that righteous people see you as a role model;
2. erase pride and ego (kibr) and become a humble leader with humilty (ihsaan);
3. we must actively practice patience (sabr).

The Muslim community needs to understand and learn how to cope with those who are facing mental illnesses no matter who they are. Sh. Yaser Birjas explains to us that we should be compassionate and caring seeking those in need of help.

We are all promised something in our lives from different jobs, schools, homes, families, societies, etc. depending on how hard we work and where we live and what we do to reach those goals. There is one thing that every single human being is promised. Br. Yusha Evans explains that one promise.

Will you be remembered after your death due to a legacy you left behind? Will it be a positive or negative one?

Prophet Ibrahim(A.S) made Du’a and asked Allah: “Oh Allah, make my legacy a positive and truthful one for the later generations” The desire to become a role model or to leave a positive legacy in your own life found in the Qur’an. At the end of Surah Al Furqan, Allah asks us to make a Du’a.

Verse 74: “Our Lord, grant us from among our wives and offspring comfort to our eyes and make us an example for the righteous.”

Ibn Al-Qayyim comments on this verse and he said: “There is a difference between legacy for fame, lust for power, and between legacy for Allah(SWT)” He then said that there are two ‘Niyahs’(Intention) one can have, positive or negative. Therefore we should ponder on this topic and think to ourselves, What will I be remembered for? What will be my legacy after I pass away?

The family of Ustadh Usama Canon announced that he has been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Tributes from around the world have poured in. Here, he speaks about what it was like to face his own mortality.

“Every soul shall taste death.” Qur’an 29:57. “Wheresoever you may be, death will overtake you even if you are in fortresses built up strong and high!” Qur’an 4:78.

Death is the reality from which none can escape. It draws nearer every day; every hour; every minute. According to the CIA’s The World Factbook 2007, almost two people die each second. Death is not a disaster, but simply a passing from this world onto the next. It should make us reflect and ponder about the purpose of life, and what will become of us after death.

Seeing that you were dead and He gave you life. Then He will give you death, then again will bring you to life (on the Day of Resurrection) and then unto Him you will return. (Surah Baqarah 2: 28)

What happens to us when we die? What is the soul? Where are heaven and hell? Is there a reckoning with the creator? Questions such as these about death and dying have frightened and fascinated humanity since the beginning of time. This session explores these existential questions by providing an overview of answers from the sacred scriptures. It examines the viability of reincarnation, the sensual imagery of Paradise, as well as what to make of near-death experiences. Theological scholarship combined with insight and sensitivity make this session thoroughly translatable, a simple introduction to profound and complicated subjects.

How would you live your last day? How would you talk? How would you pray? How would you work? How would you eat? What would you do? Mufti Menk shares advice on being prepared for our death. This was a Kuthba at Masjid Uthman delivered on 14th June 2013.

Brother Adeel Hussain died while travelling to the event where Mufti Ismail ibn Musa Menk was speaking. Upon hearing this news, Mufti Menk decided to change the topic and remind us all about death. We need to reflect on when and how we will die. How do you want to leave this world?

A very powerful reminder about the temporary nature of this worldly life, and the fact that we will enter our graves with only our faith and our good deeds that we did to please God. Given at the Islamic Center of Tennessee [theictn.org].

This classroom style lecture was given as part of the annual Dar al Islam Teachers’ Institute in New Mexico. The audience consisted of non-Muslim school teachers from around North America. The primary objective of this program was to educate the teachers about the fundamental Islamic beliefs and practices within the context of an interactive and intensive spiritual retreat. In this session, Hamza Yusuf outlines the five life stages of the human being according to the Holy Qur’an: the pre-worldly existence, the dunya (life on earth), the barzakh (grave), the Day of Judgment, and the final abode (Heaven and Hell). Although each stage is covered in detail, emphasis is placed on the dunya realm and death. Many interesting topics are explored relating to the unseen world, which according to the Islamic belief, makes up the vast majority of creation. A comprehensive talk that provides insight into the Muslim worldview and is ideal for people of all faiths. Other topics discussed: our disenchantment with the world, fitrah (human nature), and the age of discrimination.

Death is a topic not many people like to talk about due to the uncertainty of the grave and journey of the soul. Well, the beauty of Islam is that it has given us all we need to know about death and where we are ultimately heading. In this lecture Sheikh Feiz opens the viewer’s eye to the reality of death, through a few amazing true stories of people in there last few minutes before death overcomes them.